KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES IRAN, IRAQ,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004702

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C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED NOFORN CAPTION)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV CVIS KU IR
SUBJECT: KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES IRAN, IRAQ,
SYRIA

REF: STATE 202585

KUWAIT 00004702 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C/NF) Summary: During back-to-back meetings on 12/24
with a Congressional delegation and the Ambassador, The
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said that the key issues facing the
coalition in Iraq are transferring security responsibility to
Iraqis and checking Iranian influence. He said we are in a
"new stage" with Iran following passage of UNSCR 1737. The FM
will likely visit Iran in February to discuss the
Kuwaiti/Iranian maritime boundary dispute, in an area of a
significant gas field. The Amir will hold off on accepting
the Iranian invitation to visit until he is in a position to
bring home a win on that issue. The FM argued for U.S.
engagement with Syria, differentiating between Syrian
misbehavior and "legitimate interests." He counseled against
U.S. engagement with Iran. The Abbas-Olmert meeting is an
important step, but the GOI should release more funds to
Abbas. The FM expressed concern that Kuwaiti students may be
frightened off of study in the U.S. by publicity surround
several recent cases where Kuwaiti students fell out of
status and had difficulty resolving their cases with DHS.
End Summary


2. (C/NF) Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohamed Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah met 12/24 with a visiting Congressmen Ike Skelton,
Michael Conaway, and Jon Porter. The FM then met separately
with the Ambassador to address several additional issues.
The FM welcomed the delegation to Kuwait, assuring them that
American troops stationed in Kuwait "are in friendly
territory." Asked what the U.S. could be doing better in the
region, the FM urged more consultation on major decisions.
In this regard, he said Kuwait and others have been pleased
with a recent series of visits to the region by Secretary
Rice, marked by an open exchange of views, and especially a
renewed sense of engagement of Israeli-Palestinian issues.


Iraq: Train and Transfer Responsibility
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3. (C/NF) Asked for his thinking on Iraq, the FM said the
coalition needs to "expedite training," and quickly shift
security responsibility to Iraqi units. "No one will know
whether the training has been effective, he explained, "until
they are forced to assume responsibility." The FM said
Maliki had "started off on the wrong foot" by governing on a
sectarian basis, but seems to have begun correcting his
course in the wake of his meeting with the President in
Amman. The FM stressed the importance of success in the
reconciliation process, noting the "South African model"
would be a useful approach. At the same time, the FM said
Maliki must disarm militias. "Militias are an extension of
Iranian influence," he explained, "there is no way of getting
around that.

Iran: "New Stage" following 1737
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4. (C/NF) He noted that Iran enjoys a degree of regional
hegemony with or without nuclear weapons: "they can
devastate us with their conventional weapons." Therefore, he
said, there should be no unreasonable expectations of GCC
states carrying "a disproportionate burden" in the
international community's confrontation with Iran. The
resolution, even in its "watered down" form, is an important
statement that Iranian behavior in unacceptable. Recent
election results that seemed a repudiation of the government
are an indication that there are "dynamics we can take
advantage of" inside Iran. The FM said the Iran issue is in
a "new stage" following the passage of UNSCR 1737. Reading
from a text of the resolution and its annexes provided by the
Ambassador (along with reftel points),the FM showed
particular interest in the list of names of sanctioned
individuals, although he noted wryly that it seemed to go
after the "janitors" and give the executives a pass.


5. (C/NF) The FM described Iran-Kuwait relations as
"correct," noting that Kuwait has particularly strong
concerns about what the Iranians are doing in Southern Iraq.
He said he will visit Iran in February for a meeting of the
joint Iran-Kuwait commission, where the focus will be on
trying to resolve a bilateral dispute over the Kuwait/Iran
boundary on the the continental shelf, where there are
significant gas fields. In his later meeting with the
Ambassador, the FM said the Amir has accepted an invitation
to visit Iran, but will not go until it is clear he can bring
back something positive on the continental shelf issue. The
Ambassador said the U.S. would welcome indefinite delay of
the Amir's visit.


KUWAIT 00004702 002.2 OF 002


Syria: Need a "Differentiated Approach"
--------------


7. (C/NF) Asked what the U.S. should do with the Syrians,
the FM argued for additional engagement, noting that Syria
has some legitimate concerns in addition to its unacceptable
activity. He argued that the Syrians bring a "merchant
mentality" to negotiations, and that therefore we need to
take a "differentiated approach" that recognizes areas where
deals can be made. This is in contrast to Iran, he said,
where the utility of negotiation is far less clear. The
Foreign Minister said that U.S. willingness to put all issues
on the table with Iran if it would suspend enrichment was
widely interpreted by Arab governments as offering Iran a
free hand in Iraq in exchange for a deal on nuclear matters.
He said that such engagement should take place on all issues
of contention, and noted that Kuwait's greatest concern is
Iranian meddling in Iraq, particularly in Southern Iraq.

Olmert-Abbas Meeting
--------------


6. (C/NF) Ambassador pointed to the Olmert-Abbas meeting as
an important step, and noted that the Secretary intends to
remain actively engaged in attempting to make progress on the
Israeli/Palestinian issues. The FM agreed on the importance
of continued focus on the issue, saying it was critical to
release more funds to Abbas. Ambassador encouraged Kuwait to
supply additional support to President Abbas, and noted the
return of Salam Fayaad to a position of influence working
with Abbas.

Kuwaiti Students: Getting the Numbers Back Up
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7. (C/NF) Asked by the CODEL whether there is anything the
U.S. can do for Kuwait, the FM made a plea to clarify and
improve handling of Kuwaiti students in the U.S. The FM
noted that a number of Kuwaiti students had trouble recently
with immigration authorities in the U.S. He said these
issues are frightening students into looking elsewhere for
higher education. As a strong supporter of U.S. education,
this is a particular concern for the FM. (Note: The FM's son
in May will become only the second student from an Arab
country to graduate from West Point.) Ambassador said this
issue is a significant priority for the U.S. Embassy, and
pointed out that many of these problems occurred when Kuwaiti
students inadvertently fell out of status. He noted that
after a significant post 9-11 drop, the numbers have started
to climb again, but that the State Department will continue
to work with DHS to bring greater transparency to the student
visa process.

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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
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Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
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LEBARON